Heads up, a Salik toll is being introduced in Abu Dhabi

President Sheikh Khalifa has issued a traffic toll law for Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi residents will soon have to pay road tolls like in Dubai, according to a law issued by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

While an exact date for when the toll system will be introduced has not been revealed, the Department of Transport will be responsible for determining the areas where the toll will be implemented, the amount to be paid, and the operation times.

The department’s recommendations will then be submitted to the Executive Council for approval.

According to the law, ambulances, armed forces, civil defence vehicles, public buses and motorcycles will be exempt from paying the tariff.

Motorists who cross a toll without paying the fee will face fines up to Dh10,000.

The Salik electronic toll system was introduced in Dubai in July 2007 in a bid to ease traffic on congested roads (the word ‘salik’ appropriately means ‘clear and moving’ in Arabic).

In Dubai, the Salik system consists of seven toll gates set up around the city. The Roads and Transport Authority designed the system to be free-flowing, meaning that as you travel between toll gates there’s no need to stop or get out of your car, nor do you need to manually pay at a toll both – everything is done automatically.